Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a mobile forensics tool named Massistant, used by law enforcement in China for gathering data from seized devices. This tool, developed by a Chinese company formerly known as Meiya Pico, is seen as a successor to the earlier tool, MFSocket.
Massistant operates in conjunction with desktop software and can access a wide range of data, including GPS locations, SMS messages, photos, audio files, contacts, and call logs. The application requires physical access to the device to be installed, which enables data collection from confiscated phones, especially at border checkpoints.
According to reports from Lookout, samples of Massistant obtained from mid-2019 to early 2023 were uniquely signed with an Android certificate referencing Meiya Pico. The software functions similarly to MFSocket, needing connection with a desktop for effective data extraction. Users are prompted to grant permissions for data access, with exit attempts resulting in error notifications, and the application is designed to uninstall itself once disconnected from a USB.
Additionally, Massistant has been enhanced to gather data from third-party messaging apps like Signal and Letstalk, a Taiwanese messaging service. Though primarily analyzed for its Android capabilities, indications suggest there may also be an iOS version, as evidence points to iPhones being connected to forensic hardware associated with the tool.
Meiya Pico’s involvement in surveillance technology is long-standing, with historical reports tracing partnerships with law enforcement to scan mobile devices for terrorism-related content. In December 2017, the Wall Street Journal detailed how the company aided police in Xinjiang by examining smartphones for sensitive content. More recently, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Meiya Pico for its role in biometric surveillance of ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs, in China.
Experts have emphasized that traveling to or within China poses risks of having personal mobile data intercepted through lawful intercepts conducted by state police. This revelation follows another report where another spyware, EagleMsgSpy, was suspected to have been employed by Chinese police for similar information gathering efforts.
In summary, the discovery of Massistant highlights the ongoing use of advanced mobile forensics tools in surveillance efforts, raising significant privacy concerns for users.
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